WomenNC’s mission is to lead North Carolina’s young adults in the elimination of injustice against women and girls. Our vision is to raise a generation that will honor women’s human rights. This blog follows the experiences of our talented fellows. Enjoy reading about their journeys!

Thursday, March 16, 2017

I began my day at the
Salvation Army Auditorium, where human rights defenders from India, the
Caribbean, and Columbia shared their stories at a panel hosted by MADRE. MADRE
is a feminist, anti-colonialist human rights organization that sustains
grassroots movements across the globe and supports their efforts to build
community and stand up for their rights. The executive director, Yifat Susskind opened
with a few remarks about the global climate, which is experiencing a surge in
totalitarian and fascist rule. In the words of one of Susskind’s friends from
Iraq in reference to the travel ban, “George Bush set my house on fire. Trump
locked me inside.” However, the panel also emphasized that while the planet is
experiencing an uptick in totalitarian, fascist violence, it is merely a
continuation of the white supremacist patriarchal exploitation that underlies
most of our power structures. Each panelist reiterated the importance of not
only refusing to normalize the current state, but also to not concede that the
level of human rights violations occurring a decade ago was acceptable. Instead,
they say, leftists should normalize their vision for the future.

Then I participated in a
panel on empowering women economically and politically, which was hosted by
Girls Learn International. At this panel I shared the stage with amazing young
women who have already taken the lead in their communities. Talking to these
girls and hearing their stories was incredibly inspiring and I was compelled to
do what I can to be the same light to others. Mentorship is crucial to
sustaining movements, and I will commit to encouraging and supporting young
women in any way that I can as I move forward.

After the panel, I
attended most of the lunchtime training session hosted by the NGO CSW. This
informative session brought members from countless NGOs together to learn about
how to influence the UN deliberations at the conference. Some NGOs are at the
UN in hopes of changing the language of the official conclusions of the UN
Commission on the Status of Women to further their agendas in their own
countries. This is interesting in light of the realization that the proposed conclusions
neglect to mention LBTQ rights. From what I learned at the session, it is
possible to influence representatives by trying to schedule meetings with them,
approaching them at side events, and more.

Next I attended a panel
hosted by Cities for CEDAW to hear about the experiences of cities that have
taken action to affirm the human rights of women. I learned that LA is on the
verge of releasing its first official gender equity report and that the Mayor
issued an executive order directing each city department to take measures to
address women’s rights. The biggest challenge LA encountered was collaborating
with the fire department to recruit more women to the department. The other
main case study was that of New York, which has yet to pass CEDAW, though it
has already passed more than 10 policies in pursuit of gender equity. Among the
laws passed in the city are paid sick leave, paid family leave, and paid safe
days off (days taken off to cope with domestic violence). It also raised the
minimum wage to $15 as part of their Level the Paying Field initiative to close
the 11 percent gap among New Yorkers. I am hopeful now that CEDAW provides an
excellent framework for legislators that can lead to progressive, feminist
agendas at the local level.